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Updated on
April 13, 2008,
M.R.
asks from
Clifton, NJ
on
April 09, 2008

Baby Needs Stroller to Fall Asleep

My son is a great sleeper. Slept through the night since 7 weeks old. Now he is teething so he occasionally gets up during the night, but is an overall great sleeper. Napping is another story. I know I should not complain since he sleeps through the night. Here is my dilemna.....when he does nap he will only fall asleep in the stroller - being wheeled around. I actually have a stroller permanently parked in my dining room. He goes to sleep by himself in his cribat night but during the day, he needs the stroller. I will be putting him into a private daycare in a month, and feel bad for him that he may not be able to fall asleep during the day and get the naps he needs. HELP!!! I hope there is someone out there with similar issues.

Featured Answers

S.R.
answers from
New York
on
April 11, 2008

I would not worry about it, the baby will get used to the new schedule, and nap. I had good day care experiences when my son was an infant. I dropped in one time to my son's day care at the baby naptime, and all eight babies were sound asleep. How the two caregivers did it, I will never know. My son never wanted to nap with me unless I was holding him, or I put him in a swing.

My daughter was the same way with her swing. I just did what we did for bedtime. Set a routine of a snack and a book and then walked her to her room and layed her down with her music and stuffed animal. she cried the first few days, same as when training her for night sleep, but now she is a pro. Its harder on you then it is on them. They may not sleep the first time but they will get there and you will feel better too.

More Answers

K.E.
answers from
Buffalo
on
April 10, 2008

My daughter was the same way with her swing. I just did what we did for bedtime. Set a routine of a snack and a book and then walked her to her room and layed her down with her music and stuffed animal. she cried the first few days, same as when training her for night sleep, but now she is a pro. Its harder on you then it is on them. They may not sleep the first time but they will get there and you will feel better too.

M., for what it's worth, we still can rarely get our 18-month-old twins to nap without either strolling them or driving them around in the car -- BUT they nap just fine in their cribs at daycare. Your son may have a few days when he starts daycare that he struggles at naptime, but I would be surprised if he doesn't fall into a good, stationary napping routine there.

Don't worry, my baby would only nap in the stroller and at 12 months I was freaking out that she would never sleep without the stroller when I started her in daycare. My daycare did not stroll. The first day I went at lunchtime to check on her and lo and behold, she was out and sound asleep on the cot. The daycare people are excellent and the kids love copying each other so when everyone goes to sleep, they want to do the same thing too.

I totally know what you are going through. My son needed to be rocked to sleep and we had to stop at 17 monts because my son was so big, i was hurting my back so bad. Try to break his habit and have him fall asleep in his crib, you might have to try the crying it out method, but it will benefit you in the long run! Trust me!

Little ones go through many changes....so his sleeping habbits might change in a month. However, call the private daycare people you are going to leave him with, explain the situation and ask them if it will be a problem for them if he takes his nap in his stroller during the time he'll be with them. It might not be a problem at all for them and they might have other ways of dealing with this as well...ask. You need to feel comforable where ever you leave your child so you need to check this out with them.

Just explain the napping situation to the daycare provider. Chances are you chose an experienced daycare? They will have an arsenal of "tricks" to try, just make sure they know exactly what the situation is so that they are not clueless about the first rough day or two. Also, day care may be so stimulating to your baby that he falls asleep in the middle of playing.
My daycare lady said my daughter slept for 2 hours every day with no problem. This was amazing because my daughter only slept a total of 6 hours in a 24 hour period when she was with me! She needed daycare to catch up on her sleep!
Good luck-and don't stress. These things come on go...and then come back again!
M. P

Hello M.,
Don't worry too much about your son napping at daycare. I work at a day care and children just adjust to the strict schedule of the day care. You would also be surprised at how your child will do things differently once being around the children and day care workers and not you.

Have you tried letting him cry it out? I had to do this with my daughter when she was 9 months old because I had always rocked her to sleep but she was going to start going to daycare. I knew that the daycare would just put her down and let her cry and I didn't want her to think she was being tortured so I made a point to get her used to it at home. I felt that a new place with new people would be a hard enough transition for her and I didn't want to add to her stress (or mine) by making her deal with it on her own. Letting her cry herself to sleep was one of the hardest things I have had to do and the first few times I cried right along with her but I knew I was doing it for her own good.

I would not worry about it, the baby will get used to the new schedule, and nap. I had good day care experiences when my son was an infant. I dropped in one time to my son's day care at the baby naptime, and all eight babies were sound asleep. How the two caregivers did it, I will never know. My son never wanted to nap with me unless I was holding him, or I put him in a swing.

My little one is 7 months old, I am not sure how old yours is. She is the same way, she slept about 5 months in the swing, then I moved her to the crib. She has slept in her crib at night, for 3 months, during the day it was a nightmare. She would cry, and I couldn't take it. So now where ever she falls a sleep, I let her. It might be with a bottle, rocking, in the car. I just go with the flow. I am not as worried and obsessed about it any more. She sometimes sleeps on the sofa, she is not rolling over yet. I would try to take him out, and see what happens, on the sofa or crib. When your hubby/partner is home. This way if he wakes up you have support. Then slowly start to rock him with out of the stroller and so on. He will get it, it may take time. I figure if they are sleeping in the crib at night, just let the day go. It is hard I know, I have tried for a month and gave up on it. I was a mess and so was she, so what ever the day brings, we go with. I can't do the cio thing yet. Take care and we are going through it with you. A.

Hi M., first of all congratulations on being a mom its the best thing that can happen to a woman. I had a similar situation with one of my four children and I advice you to try and break him from the habbit. Daycares will not stroll him to nap and he needs his nap at this age. When nap time comes around have him lay in the crib, perhaps a mat, just stay with him until his pattern changes. It may take a few days or even weeks but trust me it works. GOOD LUCK!

bring a stroller to the day care... my son (now 6) took a 2 hour nap everyday in his stroller in his room until he was 2... then he started napping in his crib/bed until he was 4... so who cares where your baby naps as long as he is getting the nap he needs

I was a licensed family day care provider when my children were young, and then ran daycare centers--I think your son is going through a phase and the day care provider shouldn't have a problem with it. He will sleep in a crib, and that's what really counts in the long run. It will also be easier for the him to change the pattern in a different house with a different person. Still keep trying to nap him in the crib, but don't sweat it. A child I cared for would only nap in the playpen for awhile- and then she would nap anywhere! This too will pass.

When my son was a baby and I couldn't get him to fall asleep I would put on music and dance with him in my arms and it worked every time. I did that for awhile then I would just play soothing classical music and rub his back for a while. Eventually he was able to fall asleep on his own.Boys like to be in motion! Try that then maybe you can put the stroller away and take it out just when you need to go somwhere or just go for a walk. L. H. Mom of three

You have one entire month. Begin today. Get him used to sleeping without the stroller. Better he gets used to it with you than at the daycare.

Begin right now, this very moment and retire the stroller and see what happens. You can do this gently- you are there to support him. Just let him go back to sleep. If he cries, that is okay , babies cry. Just let him cry a few minutes at a time and reassure him that you are there and he should go right back to sleep.

Try it. You have nothing to lose and all to gain.

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